7 Brushes & Paint Can Workshop Tips - Featured Maker: Jimmy DiResta

Hi Instructables Community,

here is the second part of the Jimmy Tips series as promised in the previous collaboration Instructable between Jimmy Diresta and me.

This time its all about Brushes and Paint cans and as you can see from the title we have moved on from a meager five tips to seven in this Instructable.

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The very first tip aims at addressing a few problems with cans of Bondo.

Due to its strong smell I like to put the lid back on as fast as possible. The problem with that is that there is always unhardened Bondo on the lid that tends to get on my skin.

I made a small hinge/handle from some scrap wood, an empty bottle and attached it with hot glue. This allows me to quickly open and close the lid and the bottle is used to store the hardener for the Bondo. Once the can is empty I use this trick to break the joint and glue it to a fresh can.

Most stores (& brands) use plastic caps for their polyurethane cans whereas they used screw-on caps.

I find these plastic caps extremely inconvenient to use which is why use the following trick.

I poke a hole in one corner on the top of the can and use that to pour out whatever amount I need and close the hole with a wood screw.

Please Note: I usually go through these cans very quickly which is why I'm not overly bothered with evaporation. If you however rarely use whatever is in the can you should be aware that the contents will evaporate over time!

We use a lot of cheap throwaway brushes and one way to safe on brushes is to use this trick.

When working on a job or project and finishing up for the night there are these two ways to avoid dried out brushes without lengthy cleaning.

Stick the brush into a can that either has some thinner or some paint in it and close/seal it with a vinyl/latex glove. This way it won't dry out.

An alternative are tall tins that come with a lid (e.g. certain brands of coffee). Please note that this will only work for 12-24 hours since the seals are not completely tight.

When pouring paint or thinner back into the original or a larger container you can use this extra Trick to create a spout with needle nose pliers or your multi tool.

To save brushes and paint rollers I like to cut the handle of a brush down so it fits into the paint can. To then use it I grab it with a vice grip which acts as a temporary handle.

The same trick work with paint rollers which can be stored in the paint can. When I want to use it I simply use the handle to get the roller out and use it.

To get the roller off the handle and into the can while it is covered in paint we use this simple technique!

When using cans of lacquer and you wipe your brush off on the edge you can poke a few holes in the gutter so the lacquer can flow back into the can.

Again as with some tips before this only makes sense if you use the can often. Long storage on your shelf will lead to the can drying out or the contents evaporating!

I like to use Briwax for finishes and an easy way to apply it is to do it with a brush.

The structure of the brush forces the wax into the nooks & crannies of the grain. Let it dry for a short while and then buff it up with a piece of cloth.

This trick also works if your wood has a irregular surface such as trim work or carvings.

Jimmy learned this trick from Paul Waelder (David Waelder's dad).

Oil paint & oil based paint will form a skin after a while due to the air in the can. To avoid this you can use argon from your welder to replace the oxygen in the can with the heavier gas which will not react with the oil paint.

This should also work with other gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen that are heavier than oxygen.

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